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Check For the Smile in Their Eyes
Taking Volunteerism to New Heights: Bonus Years Hero Joanne Miller When I think of my new friend Joanne Miller, aged 77 years, the three words that come to mind are service, energy and clarity. She is the walking, talking image of the ideas that I share at my “Refire Don’t Retire” talks, and I thought it would be a wonderful idea to feature Joanne in today’s blog post, the second in a series on Bonus Years Heroes. Joanne has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year in Eau Claire, Wisconsin by two organizations since she retired twenty two years ago at 55. The two organizations are Visit Eau Claire and…
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Good grief! How letting go will bring you a new beginning
I recently learned I have atrial fibrillation. As human beings, we are constantly learning. We seek out information on a given topic out of interest (like how to play the guitar) or necessity (like how to maintain a car). All learning has value, but I have found that it is particularly satisfying and valuable when interest and necessity intersect in the process. Learning how to grieve has been that type of learning experience for me. I learned out of necessity when my wife Shirley died of leukemia at 39 years of age and I became a widower with 4 children and my job with a company that I…
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Get the Right Stuff Done – Learn the Powerful ‘Sort and Stack’ Method
What’s on your “to do” list? If you don’t have a written list, take a few moments now to write down everything that you want to get done. Get it out of your mind and onto a piece of paper. Now look at your list. I’m willing to bet the items are quite varied — from simple errands like “pick up the dry cleaning” to more complex projects such as “draft a budget for the kitchen remodel.” You may also feel your list is a mile long and impossible to finish. You are right. And you’re not alone. This comes up frequently in the life-transition coaching I do…
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Stop ‘Shoulding’ on Yourself
I believe that words in and of themselves have no meaning, that people give meanings to words. I also believe that our words, as they relate to the way that we look at things, create moods. Further, I have observed that the moods and emotions created by our words manifest themselves physically in our body and directly affect the action that we take or do not take. We create our own reality by the words we use to describe it. I have listened to a lot of people who, reflecting on their life, express regret about something they did not do. Often they will say, “I…